Residents of the city of Hayward had until noon on July 16 to throw their hat into the ring to become the next member on the city council.

A vacancy on the council was created during the June 3 election when Barbara Halliday won the mayoral seat with two years left in her city council term.

Since the election, the city has been scrambling to find an easy, transparent, and fair way to find a qualified Hayward resident to finish out the remaining term.

The council decided to abandon an option to call a special election in the month of August or wait until the November general election because they said it would be too cumbersome, costly, and unworkable.

Instead the six member council, missing its seventh member, approved plans to make the replacement process similar to that of 2006 when Councilmember Matt Jimenez died in office.

As in 2006, citizens who are interested in filling the vacancy must submit an application to the city for review.

Each standing councilmember will then individually review the applications and select five of the most qualified, in his or her eyes, to be interviewed.
Only the three applicants that are on each councilmembers’ list advance to the actual interview process.

To assure the residents of Hayward the replacement process will be fair Halliday, who receives one vote on the council for her old seat’s replacement, promised to, “follow all of the provisions of the Brown Act.”

The California Brown Act of 1953 was an attempt by the state legislature to make city and county agencies more transparent in their meetings and official business.

One of the most important aspects of the Brown Act is that members not hold ‘unofficial’, unrecorded council meetings with each other to discuss official business without the eye of the public being able to observe.

Mark Salinas, an ex-Hayward city councilmember who recently lost his bid for mayor, has been tipped by city staff as a likely candidate to apply and interview for the vacant seat.

“Mark did call me the other day. I am open to him coming back. But my mind is open to other candidates as well,” said Halliday.

Halliday also noted that the amount of votes Salinas received during the June election by the residents of Hayward was “not lost” on her. Salinas received 4,162 votes.

“Could you imagine anyone more qualified for the job?” Halliday beamed, referring to Salinas. “With that said, I am not advocating any one candidate.”

Ryan “Rocky” Fernandez has confirmed that he will also apply for the vacant seat. Fernandez, who was endorsed by SEIU Local 1021 during the June 3 election received 4,226 votes and lost.

“I want Hayward to be a smart city that’s why I’m running for council,” said Fernandez. “Hayward has thousands of young people who live in Hayward but we need more spaces for them to thrive and work.”

With the city of Hayward currently in difficult negotiations with SEIU Local 1021, the service union employed by the city, the appointment process and the selected appointee become powerful civic statements.

Hayward’s City Clerk Miriam Lens assured that each councilmember will individually turn in their list of selected applicants so as to protect the integrity of the process.

The selection process will come to an end Tuesday, July 22, at 7 p.m. in the Hayward City Council chambers. Candidates will be interviewed, and then the council will vote to appoint Hayward’s next councilmember.

The public is invited to attend.